Mumsnet paused a “boomer” thread this morning, and…

[CurlewKate]

…just for a second I thought ageism was being taken seriously. Sadly, no.

I cant find it either, would have assumed it would be near top of active threads tbh

Edit found it, had assumed it was in aibu rather than chat.

https://www.mumsnet.com/talk/_chat/5518873-boomers-please-take-note
Here you go!

I’m a Boomer and don’t think the term is derogatory at all - like all the other categorisations, it is simply a name attached to people born in a specified period. What is objectionable is making negative assumptions based on a person’s age or thinking all members of a group are the same. I just wish I’d known I was living in some kind of golden age while I was combining a demanding full time job with family life and caring responsibilities.

Re counting coins, I am 50 and pay cash sometimes and try to pay with correct amount! As the last thing I need is more coins!
Patience is a dying, everyone is so impatient!

I see a huge amount of ableism on mumsnet that goes completely unchecked, so not really surprising

Have you reported it when you've seen it? I'm not having a go, it's just that it's a self reporting site. There was a recent thread on benefits - I reported 3 posts, which got deleted. Thankfully.

MN mods don't have a problem with ageism. I'm just guessing here but maybe it is because the mods aren't that diverse themselves in terms of age.

The term Boomer is intended to be derogatory which is why some people get offended by it. Words don't hurt people but the intent behind words can be hurtful.

I reported the most recent thread, and I strongly suspect I wasn't the only one as a number of people were objecting. It's still there, still attracting ageist posts - to say nothing of posts slagging off those who expressed their dislike of the thread topic.

No explanation given despite my asking.
im so horrified at the animal testing on fat jabs.
Will this get me reported again?

No you are allowed to express your opinion about that as long as no personal attacks are made.

Edited to say though that “fat jabs” is not a polite way of describing weight loss jabs.

I reported it too. Sadly still there. Clearly ageism isn't viewed in the same bracket as racism, sexism etc. MN need to do better in my opinion.

Morning, everyone. We did pause the thread briefly while we reviewed it due to the volume of reports.

Age is, of course, a protected characteristic in law, and genuine age-based discrimination or harassment is something we take seriously. But that doesn’t mean every gripe or generational observation about older people is automatically unlawful ageism, any more than every gripe about Gen Z or millennials. Under the Equality Act, age discrimination is about someone being treated less favourably because of age in a context covered by the law.

The thread itself was also strongly challenged, which is part of how discussion works on the boards. We don’t think it amounts to targeting people because of age in the sense our guidelines are concerned with.

We also don’t think it’s helpful to make a straight comparison with racism. Race and age are both protected characteristics under the Equality Act, but the fact that both are protected does not mean every comment touching on them is equivalent. Reasonable people will draw the line in slightly different places, but our job is to moderate consistently. That means not treating every mention of “boomers” as inherently rule-breaking, while still stepping in where discussion tips into genuine hostility.

I'd say that the OP of that thread was demonstrating genuine hostility @KellyMumsnet

I agree @KellyMumsnet

Yes, I would agree.

Definitely.

At 64 almost 65 I'm classed as a boomer but I really don't care what term is used to describe my generation. People get too upset and offended too easily these days. I know I have been lucky in my life. I got a grant to go to university. People of my age often got council houses although I didn't get one of those. I've lived through mortgage in nearest of 0.5 percent for almost 10 years of my mortgage allowing me to make overpayments and pay it off early saving thousands in interest. I own it. Young people have it far tougher today with student loans with soaring interest, higher mortgage rates, house prices are so high they need huge deposits. I get it. I fully understand why younger people feel resentful of people of my generation especially with future state pension a little uncertain when they retire. I just wish younger people would understand none of it was of our own making. Governments have to take responsibility for that. I personally pass on asuch as I can to my DC and dgc whilst I can see them enjoy it.

@caringcarer how foolish of anyone to be "resentful of a generation". Not everyone lucked out. Women often didn't, non white people didn't and gays didn't.
Have a look at when Equality Acts were passed.
Some people never had fantastic opportunities, and left school at 14 or 16.
I'm glad that you were fortunate, but generalisations never help

Yes. I think generational labels can be useful for saying things like Gen Z grew up with social media from childhood and Gen X had a childhood without mobile phones but an adult life with them etc.

But not useful for saying "Gen Z have no resilience" or "Boomers ate all the cod in the north sea"

To be fair, I'm 61 and got in a fluster at the till in Savers for some reason, but the cashier is lovely and said put them in my hand and I'll sort it.
I'm not usually that way though

@caringcarer”At 64 almost 65 I'm classed as a boomer but I really don't care what term is used to describe my generation. People get too upset and offended too easily these days.”

Does anyone know if it’s possible to die of irony?😂😂😂

Good grief. You think that because you, personally, benefited from a few privileges and young people are currently having a difficult time, it’s ok for them to use the term ‘boomer’ in such a derisive manner? I can honestly say that the only time I hear the word ‘boomer’ used respectfully is when it’s prefixed by the word ‘baby’ and being referenced in, say, a documentary. I feel desperately sorry for young people. My eldest son is 17 and I worry for his future. But I would be furious if I heard him use that term to express his anger at a generation of people. He wouldn’t though because I’ve brought him up to look at things from all angles and to be respectful.

I quite agree with that. Social things a generation has in common, eg most GenXers watched Top of the Pops, or most Boomers sang hymns at school or most Millennials had a Disney dvd.

Grumbling about the good fortune of a previous generation is daft. I had free university tuition and a full grant. But at the time did I appreciate it? Hell no. I even went on a demonstration for a bigger grant! Looking back obviously I feel embarrassed for my entitled young self!

Absolutely right. It's just silly.
Although I did eat a lot of cod. 🐟

😂😂of course! If only you could have predicted the future!
I got 13 weeks maternity leave, only 6 on full pay. I had to return to work on the same hours, or lose my job. I am so pleased that my pregnant colleagues can take a year out, and come back to reduced and flexible hours. I'm not bitter, I'm glad things have improved with maternity rights.
We can't just get bogged down in who has the biggest privilege.
Apart from the very rich, no matter what generation!